You Were My Strength
by Charissa Eden
Summary: What happens when the one person you look to for strength no longer appears strong? You finally see their weaknesses. You see them for what they are. The story takes place when Vegeta is fifteen and working for Freeza. It contains an OC. Contains Rape.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: This was an idea I was playing with. It's my first real fanfiction of this nature. I tried hard. Reviews are loved, while flames are not. If it's not good tell me nicely.

**You Were My Strength:**

Vegeta pressed the buttons after a few seconds of lingering outside the room. The lights were still off and Cherris was sprawled on top of her bed. When he entered she neither moved nor acknowledged his presence in any way. She simply lay there, staring hollow eyed at the ceiling of her small quarters. After entering a few more paces he saw the damage Zarbon had done to it's full extent. Cherris's bra unlatched and her shirt thrown without care across the room. Her pants were down and pushed past down past her knees.

Her skin was scattered with bruises. As he looked over her his heart burned with an unbearable rage. She was supposed to be strong. She wasn't supposed to be weak! She wasn't supposed to be vulnerable! It wasn't right! She told him to be strong and survive everyday! But here she was letting that filth destroy her! How could she tell him to never give in while she herself had long since given in and lost all hope?

Had she let Zarbon do as he pleased? It was more than obvious. The bruises weren't from a struggle; they were from his rough and careless hands. Cherris was not a fighter, nor was her race gifted with fighting abilities as the Sayians. Had she struggled, Zarbon would have mauled her, if not killed her. More importantly how long had it been going on? Surely this was not the first time. He'd seen that look before. It was only now that he realized where that look came from and why it manifested itself in the eyes of someone he looked to for strength.

Why had she never said anything? Why had she kept this from him and for how long? Did she think he'd never find out? What did she accomplish in hiding this? She was protecting him from herself, what she was really like-her weakness, or was it something else?

He wasn't a boy anymore. He was a man. He had been for a very long time. Though he was only in his fifteenth year, he had the emotional stamina of some twice his age. Vegeta had seen more than many would ever see in many lifetimes. Vegeta was the slave to an evil tyrant and the one person who kept him going seemed to be leaving him bit by bit.

Vegeta stared down at Cherris's almost lifeless body. Her breathing was shallow, but steady. As if her senses were thawing, her eyes rolled slowly from the ceiling to Vegeta. It seemed the site of him brought tears to her eyes. Was it shame or heartbreak? Or both?

"Vegeta..." she breathed as a constant flow of tears came from her eyes. "You shouldn't be here. If he comes back...he'll...hurt you..."

In an instant Vegeta knew the truth. The reason she had never said anything. The real reason she allowed Zarbon to force himself into her. She was protecting him. Not from herself, but from Zarbon. From whatever wrath Zarbon wished to bring upon him if she didn't comply with his demented wishes and desires. She let him do it to protect him. She allowed herself to be destroyed for him. For his protection.

"I don't want you to see this...just go..." she whispered faintly. Vegeta shook his head and crossed the room to her dresser. He searched the drawers until he found a complete outfit.

"I'm going to get to you to the medical center. You're hurt...badly." Vegeta told her without a trace of emotion crossing his face. It was a long process, helping her get dressed. She was almost too weak to move at all. Slowly, though he helped her into new undergarments, a shirt, pants, and shoes. Once done, she was in a sitting position. His onyx eyes looked over her face. Her real face. She was no longer wearing the mask. "How long? How long has he been doing this to you?"

Cherris's eyes closed for a moment and she bent her head in shame. "Too long." she told him. She was biting her lip hard. Blood was beginning to drip for it.

"C'mon. Let's get you to the medical center. If we're lucky no one will be there," he told her. Vegeta helped her up and let her lean against him as they walked. It was nearing midnight and except for a few guards the corridors were completely empty. Whenever one of the guards looked at them Vegeta sent a death glare at them, and it kept them in their place. Out of their business.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm sorry you see it that way, King Naka. You have such a beautiful planet. It's a pity is has to go to waste." Cherris said as she rose. She picked up the document of unconditional surrender and allegiance to Freeza. Her dark brown hair bounced against her back as she walked out of the room. Outside the door, acting as guards, were Vegeta and Nappa. She nodded for them to follow, her coal colored eyes staring straight ahead. The three were receiving angry glares from the staff of the palace.

"Didn't take the offer?" Nappa asked, though he didn't really need to ask. Very few races ever accepted the offer. She shook her head. "Guess me and Vegeta'll be back here in a few days." Vegeta nodded in agreement and looked ahead at Cherris. She held no signs of the previous night's events. She acted as she always did. She walked with pride, never letting emotion be portrayed on her face or anywhere. She was wearing that mask again, liked she always did.

"Will you be joining us, Cherris?" he asked as they exited the palace and walked down the steps.

"If my orders tell me to. If not, no." Cherris said as she stepped into her pod. Her voice held the sound of indifference, as if she didn't care anymore, as if they were just employees working under Freeza.

They had always been. At least ever since his father was killed along with the rest of his race. He was only eight then. She had taken care of him. He wasn't use to being totally alone then. She watched over him and took up for him when the older soldiers messed with him.

"_What? Is the little baby going to cry? Can't take it like a man?" a big broad alien soldier said in the mess hall. Him and three others were crowded around Vegeta. He wasn't saying anything, just staring at the ground. _

"_Is there a problem gentlemen?" a much younger Cherris asked. They had separated into a clumsy line at the sight of Cherris. Though she was young, a female, and not a fighter she still held a high position in Freeza's 'cabinet'. She looked around the group and saw Vegeta. _

"_No, ma'am. We were just joking around with the kid." The biggest of the three said. She arched and eyebrow._

"_Very well. Vegeta, follow me. You'll be dining at my table today. You're not going to eat with these, foot soldiers." She said. He looked at her. She walked very stiffly. Vegeta had only seen her a handful of times. It was a choice between her and them; he was young, but not stupid. He followed behind her staying about a three feet behind her. _

"_Hey, Cherris, you've got a shadow." Dodoria said as she came upon the table. She turned behind her and saw that he was talking about Vegeta. She smiled, but it wasn't the friendliest smile. _

"_No. I invited young Vegeta to join us. He's far too good to be sitting with those fools." Cherris told the table motioning towards the lower soldiers. "He's going to be a valuable asset one day. After a bit of training and field missions he'll be up in ranks." They all looked at her skeptically, but made no other mention of Vegeta as he sat down and began to eat. He listened to the others talk intently, absorbing what they were saying. _

_That had only been the start of it. Cherris began to oversee his training sessions. _

"_Very impressive, Vegeta." She commented one day. "I think you're ready for a field assignment. Don't worry. I'll be overseeing it. I've arranged it all with Lord Freeza. He agrees with me. Though he said Nappa and Raditz should accompany you as well." She continued walking and Vegeta followed her, listening intently. _

"_The planet has a very weak populous, weak but extremely high numbered. Lord Freeza wants the planet for its natural resources. That's why you will not damage the planet. That means no off the wall explosions-Raditz-no long killings-Nappa-I want a quick and clean job of this. Do you three understand?" Cherris asked from an office like room. "I'll be tagging a long to make sure you don't go overboard. With or without the natives the planet is valuable." _

_The group walked out of the office and into the hallway of the spaceship. Cherris led them to the departure area and Nappa and Raditz climbed into their pods. "Who do you feel Vegeta?" she asked standing in front of her pod._

"_I can do this." Vegeta said with an air that said he was more than sure of himself. He opened his and climbed in. Cherris watched him get in before stepping in her pod. With a few presses of buttons they were all off. _

_The journey had taken a total of five days to reach said planet._

Vegeta followed behind Cherris and Nappa. He hadn't spoken with her since the other night. She needed space, he told himself often. Now she was different. She wasn't the Cherris he knew anymore.

"Vegeta, what's going on with Cherris?" Nappa asked. Vegeta looked at him.

"I don't know Nappa. Hell, maybe Freeza had a few choice words with her." Vegeta told him.

"I always thought that no matter what happened she treat you differently." Nappa commented. Vegeta didn't say anything in return. He knew for a fact that no matter what they couldn't have whatever it was they had before that night.

"Very well, Ms. Cherris. I suppose you know what must become of this planet." Freeza said. She nodded. "I'm thinking you're three Sayians should take this planet. You do think Vegeta, Raditz, and Nappa are capable of this don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do, Lord Freeza." Cherris told him automatically.

"Good. Brief them on their assignment and then I think Mr. Zarbon wants a word with you." Freeza said from behind his desk. She bowed and exited the room. She walked stiffly to the sleeping quarters. After reaching that hall she went passed five doors before standing in front of a door where quite a lot of noise was coming from.

Her hands were gloveless and she pressed the buttons with long fingers. She door slid open and the noise stopped. "You three. Gear up." She told the three Sayians shortly. "And meet me in my office." No one had a time to say a word before she was walking away. Raditz and Nappa had no idea why she was suddenly so distant. She had always been different from the others on the ship at least with them, and most of all with Vegeta. They didn't want to piss her off. They did as they were told and left Vegeta alone.

It took him a while to completely suit up. He left his room and walked into the hall to see Zarbon. Immediately his eyes narrowed and his fist clenched. He could kill that bastard.

"What are you doing?" Vegeta asked as he walked up to the narcissist warrior. Zarbon arched an eyebrow and looked down at Zarbon.

"If you must know, I'm waiting for Cherris. I have to have a few words with her." Zarbon told the young Sayian.

Vegeta knew what he really meant. He was going to hurt Cherris again. Vegeta had an assignment. He couldn't stay and protect Cherris. Zarbon would be free to do whatever he wanted. He stared at the other warrior and then stomped off Cherris's office.

"Vegeta. Thanks for joining us. As I was telling Nappa and Raditz you three are to eliminate the planet we visited a few days ago." Cherris told him. He nodded. Vegeta couldn't help, but be afraid for what was going to happen when he left the planet.

"You have you're orders. You are dismissed. And boys. I want this job done right. Lord Freeza wants this planet preserved. All you're mistakes come back to me and it makes me look bad." Cherris said sternly. Raditz and Nappa nodded and left for the flight docks.

"Cherris. Are you going to be okay?" Vegeta asked.

"Why wouldn't I Vegeta?" she questioned him from her desk.

"Just…be careful." He muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

Vegeta stood in the middle of the deserted dirt road. In reality it wasn't deserted. The road was the deathbed of twenty or so bodies. They weren't bodies of fighters. They were bodies of women and children. The men had long been disposed of. Nappa was in a clearing, starting a large fire. They couldn't leave the planet messy for its future inhabitants, now could they? No. It was long decided that the bodies would be cremated in huge bonfires. They were doing the last of the villages. They had killed the last of inhabitants a few days ago. Now it was just the cleaning up. Nappa called to him, to start bringing the bodies. Vegeta couldn't move though. He was too lost in thought.

_The four pods landed on the planet engraving deep craters into the soft earth. After the dust cleared Vegeta stepped out of his pod. He was trembling slightly, literally shaking in his boots. No. He wasn't a baby. He wasn't going to chicken out. He was going to go through with this. This was his first field mission. _

_What could you expect from a nine year old though? Actually his birthday had only been two weeks ago. Stepping onto that soft dirt triggered the recent memory. _

_Cherris stepped into his room. Vegeta was dressed in his sleeping clothes and sitting on his bed. "You wanted to talk before I went to sleep?" he asked, his small legs crossed. She sat down on his bed and looked at him. He looked up at her and into her eyes._

_She looked different. Her face was softer. It was no longer held in the strict hard way, but something close to a mother. Unlike during the day, her hair fell softly against her face. For the first time, Vegeta wasn't afraid of her. He didn't worry about her reaching out and slapping him for saying the wrong thing, not that she ever had. Though in the few weeks he had been taken unwillingly under her wing he was always scared of her. With right cause, many of the soldiers were, save the real powerful ones._

_She looked at him and smiled. "I was looking at your file. Says today was your birthday." She told him. He nodded slowly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small item wrapped into brown paper. Cherris handed it to Vegeta. "Go ahead. Open it." She urged. Vegeta hesitantly opened the round package. He held up a necklace with a dark blue gem. "It's a gem from my home. It's called, 'Enachular Dassadra'. It means stone of the heart. My father gave it to me when I was your age. There's an old legend to it, but that's another story for another night. Keep it well." She told. The gem was beautiful. Vegeta stared at it long after she had left. _

_The rock was now sitting in Vegeta's pocket. He reached in and gripped it for a moment. Maybe by touching it, he could have a little bit of her strength. Maybe he could get strength from Cherris._

Vegeta stared. He stared at the small body in front of him. The dead child didn't look more eight or nine years old. His mother was not, but a foot away from the small child. Vegeta felt his stomach churn. Blood was draining from the young boy's mouth. Vegeta noticed the pool of blood around the body. He covered his mouth and knelt down. He felt the vomit coming up. Why? Why? Why was he getting sick? He'd only been killing for six years. It was nothing knew. Why was he getting cold feet now? Vegeta was on his hands and knees and the vomit was coming up from his stomach.

He stood up after the last of it had drained from his mouth a few drips were on his chin and he quickly wiped it away. Then he heard Nappa's voice right near him. "You okay, Vegeta?" he asked. Vegeta stared at him.

"I'm fine Nappa. That last meal just didn't sit right with my stomach, that's all." Vegeta insisted. "Now. Let's get the rest of these bodies into the fire and get out of here."

A few hours later they were heading back to the planet. Vegeta quickly leapt from his pod and bounded towards the sleeping quarters, silently praying Cherris was okay. He pressed a few buttons and ran into her room. It was empty. Damn, he thought. He turned on his heel and ran towards her office. She had to be okay. She had to be here. Where else would she be? Zarbon could've snaked her into some sort of mission to get her away from Vegeta when he returned. Zarbon would do that. He'd lead Cherris away so he could have her way with her.


End file.
